"We are delighted to welcome the Gulf Cooperation Council as a CGIAR Member," said Ian Johnson, CGIAR Chairman and World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development. "It is a signal of confidence, both in the CGIAR and its ability to deliver science-based solutions geared to the special needs of poor farming communities."

The GCC delegation was led by Mr. Hilal Saud Al-Busaidi, Director of Water and Agriculture, and included the representative of Qatar which presently holds the rotating Presidency of the GCC. Separately, the GCC delegation met with Mr. Johnson and Francisco Reifschneider, CGIAR Director, to discuss further strengthening of CGIAR research activities in the dry areas. The decision to join the CGIAR was unanimously reached by the Ministers of Agriculture (with approval from the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and subsequent budgeting of the contribution by the Ministers of Finance) of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. ICARDA's Arab Peninsula Regional Program (APRP) based in Dubai has been identified as a priority area for investment.

Discussions are underway for national and local institutions to invest in future CGIAR-related programs targeting the GCC's region's priorities, as well as for the expansion of key partnerships with institutions such as Dubai-based International Center for Biosaline Agriculture and the Islamic Development Bank.